1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an infrared portable broiler. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable device for cooking food items from above to allow the food to drip away from the heating element. Specifically, the present invention relates to an infrared-style broiler sized to be portable, safe, and occupy minimal space, while still providing surface area for use in warming foods.
2. Background Information
Heretofore, there have existed broilers or ovens for which to heat food items. Similarly, there have existed portable grills for use in camping or tailgating activities. These portable food-heating devices are of a grill-type of structure where the heating element is underneath the items to be cooked. Some of these are supplied by electrical means and some by natural gas. However, inasmuch as the heating element is placed below the item to be cooked, the food tends to drip down onto the flame or heating element which generates an immediate scorching flame which jumps up towards the food for a fraction of a second. This is not only a dangerous situation from a safety standpoint, the food itself tends to be seared or burned unevenly resulting in uneven blackened portions of the food.
In addition to the above, the existing portable grills use a direct flame to heat the food and are either permanently open to the elements, or have a lid which releases a majority of the heat when opened. This provides a huge variance in the temperature output and overall cooking experience. Further still, the existing portable grills provide an overall heating footprint which is entirely occupied by the gridiron or grilling surface. Existing grills occupy an entire table or truck tail gate, with no room for other foods or tailgating items. If one wishes to keep a pan of beans or chili warm, yet not directly over a flame, one is required to occupying a large portion of the grilling surface with the pan and extinguish the flame, or to place the item entirely away from the grill.
Therefore, a need exists in the art to provide a portable style food preparation and heating unit which prevents or neutralizes the problem of the food dripping onto the heating element. The need also exists for cooking food via an alternative to a direct flame. Further, the need also exists to provide additional surface area for use in warming food without occupying the primary grilling area.